Daily Protein Intake Calculator – How Much Protein is Needed?

This daily protein intake calculator is pretty straight forward in its operations. It requires that you first determine your preferred units of measuring weight, choosing between kilograms and pounds, along with providing an accurate body weight. The results will allow you to choose from the level of activity that you partake in, from sedentary to extremely active. As the calculator’s results display, hard-working bodybuilders will need more grams of protein on a daily basis than inactive individuals who do not train with heavy weights. You can review the relatively accurate figures regarding your recommended daily protein intake that you should be consuming each day for optimal results with your fitness plan.

Constituting smaller units known as amino acids, proteins are the building blocks of the human body, encompassing nearly 20% of the body and forming a considerable portion of the skin, hair, muscle and various other organs.

With each different type, the proteins will vary in their functions. As antibodies, proteins defend the human body against foreign invaders, utilized by the immune system to incapacitate antigens. As contractile proteins, they are responsible for muscle contraction, affecting movement, especially when manifesting as myosin and actin.

Not many people realize that enzymes are also proteins, acting as catalysts to initiate chemical reactions in various sections of the human body, such as the processing of sugar by enzymes known as lactase. Playing equally important roles in hormonal systems, proteins are a fuel to the body’s various functions.

The recommended daily protein intake will vary depending on various factors, specifically age and weight. It is largely believed that the average individual meets their recommended protein intake on a daily basis, in fact exceeding it in some cases. A recommended daily intake will vary when approached from within three primary categories, including:

• Inactive – there are specific criteria that determine inactivity. Most professionals relate this term to people who do not exert more than 55% of their effort in any given week. Individuals within this group do not require more than 0.36 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. Inactivity restricts the need for greater levels of fuel, hence resulting in a reduced need for protein.
• Active – a person that does at least 40 minutes of exercise four to five times each week is considered moderately active and should require an average of 0.54 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.
• Extreme Active – athletes are considered extremely active, as well as those individuals that engage in very vigorous activities for several hours almost every day of the week. It is only natural that such activity would prove taxing to the human body, leading to a greater requirement for protein in order to initiate optimum levels of repair and re-growth (0.63 grams of protein per pound in women and 0.72 grams per pound in men).

With many medical practitioners recommending protein consumption as a means of building muscle mass which would in turn initiate weight loss, sources of protein are numerous ranging from skinless chicken breast to egg whites, nuts and various dairy products. The market is also inundated with healthy protein products for consumption which include different types of protein powders, bars and shakes.

So why bother with the daily protein intake calculator? Well, it is a pretty effective tool for estimating the human body’s protein requirements, allowing individuals to structure their diets accordingly in order to get the best results from their fitness program.